Comparative Constitutional Law is a 2-hour paper seminar exploring the structural intricacies of various forms of constitutional construction in a variety of countries. The U.S. Constitution serves as a touchstone to compare the political and legal choices made by countries such as Canada, France, Japan, South Africa, Britain and Russia (to name a few) in setting up their own constitutional governments. The legal and policy ramifications of those choices are then explored in the context of interpretive case law and subsequent amendment processes. “Constitution-making” is also discussed in the context of Germany’s experience with its post-World War I constitution founding the Weimar Republic and then its post-World War II Basic Law founding the Federal Republic of. Germany alongside newer examples of constitution making in post-war Afghanistan and post-war Iraq. Students select research topics on which to write in addition to selecting a specific constitution on which to present in class. This course is a related course in the International & Comparative Law Area of Concentration.
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of international human rights law. The first part of the Seminar will introduce the students to human rights and international law concepts from legal, philosophical, political, and historical perspectives. Its departure point is the philosophical tradition rooted in the nature of the human person. Following the introduction, the Seminar will shift to explore the application of human rights in the international community. The course will conclude with discussions on how international human rights movements can effectively address domestic challenges. At the end of this Seminar, students will acquire a theoretical foundation on international human rights from legal, political, philosophical, and historical perspectives; students will understand the contemporary debates on international human rights law; students will acquire theoretical frameworks that enable them to do research and produce publishable legal writing on international human rights law.